


maybe there's hope

by ofstormsandwolves



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Comic-Con, F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 14:43:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15888141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/ofstormsandwolves
Summary: When John and Rose attend their first Comic-Con together, their cosplay attracts some unwanted attention that may end up proving just how right their costumes were.





	maybe there's hope

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when 1) You ask me to choose an OTP cosplay for the Doctor and Rose, 2) you catch me at the end of an X Files marathon, and 3) I’m reminded of that quote from The Nightmare of Black Island.
> 
> Also, bonus little game- see if you can spot all the TXF references in here (I'm wrapping up a complete rewatch of the entire show so there are a lot of things fresh in my mind right now).

They got stares and admiring looks as the queued at the entrance to the Comic Con. They got polite comments about how cute they looked in their matching outfits as they browsed the merchandise stalls. They even had people ask to take their photo.

But it was only when someone told them that they made a cute couple that things got a little awkward.

“So cute!” the woman, who was in her mid-thirties, cooed as her friend voiced a similar sentiment. “Matching couple outfits! You two are so adorable!” Then, almost conspiratorially to Rose, “ _My_ boyfriend would never agree to anything like this.”

The cosplaying had been John’s idea, and Rose had agreed because it seemed fun. She’d been a little sceptical at the characters he’d chosen- and wasn’t that ironic?-, but he’d been so excited, and she’d quickly warmed back up to the idea. But now Rose Tyler was beginning to think they’d made a mistake.

Or, more accurately, she’d made a mistake.

She and John went to school together, but hadn’t so much as spoken for several years until they accidentally made friends with each other online, bonding over their love of science fiction and comic books. They’d finally got Jackie to agree to allow Rose to attend Comic Con at the age of seventeen, and John had wanted to mark the occasion with some cosplay. Jackie had rolled her eyes at their choice of outfits, told them not to let any little green men take them away in their spaceships, and to have a good time.

“Actually,” John had piped up, “Reticulans are actually grey.”

Jackie had blinked, and promptly ushered them out of her flat.

Really, Rose should have seen the signs that this wasn’t going to go well. And yet, somehow, she was stood in the middle of a convention centre in west London, with John beside her and the pair of them dressed as Mulder and Scully.

“Remind me why we did this?” Rose grumbled as she pulled her red wig off.

Beside her, John furrowed her brows, staring down at her in confusion. “What?” he asked, sounding hurt, “are you not enjoying yourself?”

Rose shrugged, already feeling bad. “Those people thought we were a couple,” she reminded him awkwardly. “We’re not.”

 _You don’t think of me like that_ , she didn’t add.

Beside her, John sniffed, frowned, shoved his hand in his pocket. “Sunflower seed?” he offered as he withdrew his hand from his pocket.

Rose blinked up at him, arching an eyebrow. John gave an embarrassed smile.

“Too much?” he asked knowingly.

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she told him, narrowly avoiding being jostled by a man who’d apparently come dressed as Bumblebee from the Transformers.

“How did he fit on the Tube?” John asked in confusion as Bumblebee man continued through the convention centre.

“Dunno,” Rose responded, only half paying attention.

There was a long pause, more people milled around them, forcing them closer even as they stood still.

“Are you really that upset?” he asked after a long silence between them. “That that woman and her friend thought we were a couple?”

Rose shrugged again. “‘s just awkward. We’re not a couple, we’re just friends.”

“Like Mulder and Scully.”

“They end up together,” Rose pointed out blankly.

John nodded seriously. “Yes.” There was another long pause. “Come on, I wanna see if they’ve got any signed comics for sale before they’re all gone.”

And then he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd.

~0~0~

Unsurprisingly, they got a lot more compliments throughout the day, John beaming at everyone while Rose- who had reluctantly put the wig back on- hung back and offered weak polite smiles at those complimenting them.

It was going fine until one bloke- in his early forties- attempted to crack a joke about how Rose was so in-character she’d taken the idea of Scully being the ‘ice queen’ a little too seriously. Before Rose could react, John was in the man’s face, eye to eye as he glared.

“Apologise,” John growled through gritted teeth. “ _Now_.”

Rose had her arms folded across her chest somewhat protectively, already aware people were starting to stop and stare.

The man spluttered out a laugh. “What for?” he asked, irritated. “Maybe your girlfriend needs to learn to take a joke. Maybe she needs to lighten up a bit.”

More people stopped and stared. John growled again.

“You’re going to apologise,” John repeated lowly.

A crowd was starting to gather. Rose was feeling even more embarrassed than when the lady earlier had thought they were a couple. Not only were people intrigued by the potential fight, but sniggers and whispered comments were being made about John’s and Rose’s cosplay.

Then, just as Rose thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing, a man stepped forward, calmly but deliberately slipping between John and the other man. He was about the same age as the other man, wearing glasses and a suit and tie. At first Rose thought he was security, or something. But then she caught sight of something pinned to the lapel of his suit jacket and a little part of her died of embarrassment.

“Just leave the kids alone,” he told the other man calmly. “Walk away, man. Be the adult. And maybe think twice about what you say before commenting on another kid’s cosplay, yeah?”

The other man grumbled and muttered, but a glance around at the people who had gathered apparently convinced him to drop it. As he wandered off into the crowd, Rose cringed as John and their new saviour returned to her side.

“Will you two be alright?” the new man asked in concern, looking between John and Rose.

“Yeah,” John nodded, a little embarrassed. “Thanks for that.” He glanced down at the badge on the man’s lapel, laughed a little. “Good to know Assistant Director Skinner’s still looking out for us.”

Rose cringed even more at that, but the man just laughed. “Yeah, something like that. You two have a friend in the FBI,” not-Skinner told them with a smile. “Great costumes by the way. Maybe I’ll see you at the cosplay parade later?”

John glanced at Rose for the first time in a while then, saw her biting her lip, saw how embarrassed she was. “We haven’t decided if we’re going yet, but we might do.”

Not-Skinner seemed to get the hint, and gave them another smile. “I’ll see you around.”

As the man finally left, Rose sagged into John’s side. “This is so embarrassing,” she muttered into his shoulder.

But John was watching the crowd of people who had gathered when they’d thought there would be a fight, the crowd that hadn’t quite dispersed.

“I don’t think anyone’s laughing at us, Rose,” he informed her quietly, watching as a group of thirty-somethings a little way away talked quietly and occasionally glanced in their direction. “I think... I think they _like_ us.”

Rose risked a peek over at some of the people still hanging around, and just as she did, the group of thirty-somethings approached them.

“We just wanted to make sure you’re ok,” one of them- in a Spiderman t-shirt- said. “And to tell you you two make an awesome couple.”

“Thanks,” John said, a little perplexed. “We’re fine.”

“That guy was a douche,” another of them said, sounding annoyed, before glancing at Rose. “This your first time cosplaying?”

Rose nodded, and said nothing.

“Don’t let him worry you,” the man continued with a smile. “It’s fine to feel a little nervous, don’t let that guy make you feel bad. He was an idiot anyway.”

They shared a few more words of encouragement, including recommending some good stalls to get some bargains on, before leaving Rose and John to it.

“Everyone still thinks we’re a couple,” Rose noted as they watched the group walk away from them.

She turned to see John frowning at her. “You keep saying that,” he noted. “Is it bothering you? That people keep complimenting our costumes and saying we’re a cute couple?”

Rose forced herself to meet his gaze. “We’re not-”

“A couple,” he completed. “Yeah, you said that earlier.” He looked a little embarrassed then, looking around as though to see if anyone was listening. “Why does it bother you so much? Do you really hate the idea of dating me that much?”

Rose blinked. “What?”

John shrugged. “I just figured that’s why you’re so bothered by it. If you just want to be friends, that’s fine. But don’t keep bringing it up.”

“What if I don’t just want to be friends,” Rose blurted, wide-eyed. “You’re the one who never showed any signs of wanting to change what we had!”

John’s own eyes widened then. “Since when?” he demanded. “Why would I choose this cosplay if I wasn’t hinting at something?”

“Because they’re our OTP!” Rose responded quickly. “That’s why you chose it!”

“Only partly!” John countered. “Only because I thought you’d get the hint!”

There was a long, pregnant pause then.

Finally: “What hint?”

“ _What hint_?” John echoed, rolling his eyes. “Really?” He sighed. “This hint.”

Then suddenly he was kissing her, and Rose was kissing him back and they were vaguely aware they were in the middle of a public place, people were stopping and staring again, but none of that mattered.

When they pulled away, John blinked, and grinned. “You’re not going to hit me, are you?” he asked quietly.

Rose rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips. “Not this time, no.”

John slipped his hand into Rose’s, still beaming. “I told you cosplay was a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Rose agreed softly, still smiling. “You did.” She paused. “Was this your plan all along?”

John tilted his head to one side, considering her question. “Not necessarily the kissing part. But at least you figuring out what the costumes meant for us. I figured it was worth a shot. ‘Maybe there’s hope’, and all that.”

Rose snorted, and shook her head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah,” John agreed softly. “Now let’s go get something to eat.”


End file.
